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Aug. 24, 1937. F. K. THUN 2,091,169

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BY I

ATTORNE Patented Aug. 24, 1937 STOCKING AND METHOD or MAKING THE SAME Ferdinand K. Thun, Wyomissing, Pa., assignor to Berkshire Knitting Mills, Wyomissing, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania.

Application November 6, 1935, Serial No. 48,455

7 Claims.

10 gether along their edges, and the stocking has a seam extending from adjacent to the toe tip, along the sole, through the heel, and upwardly on the leg, to the top edge of the welt.

Such stockings have. more commonly been pro- 15 duced by knitting the leg portions on machines called leggers, removing them from these machines, and topping them onto the needles of machines called footers, for completing the blanks. By reason of the angular relation between the leg and the foot, the taper of the leg toward the ankle and the spheroidal shape of the heel pocket in service, the construction at the heel and ankle has been of particularly diificult production.

It has been proposed to knit an entire stock- 25 ing leg and foot blank on one machine, but this i has not materially altered the heel construction.

It has also been proposed to employ a single, or unit, machine, for knitting the leg and foot, without the heel pocket, and to separately knit heel 30 tabs for subsequent incorporation into'the main blank. The latter suggestion involves knitting, separately from the main leg'and foot blank, continuous fabric strips of successive half heel pocket portions, which are severed from the strips 35 and a pair thereof secured to each blank. The

half heel portions of a pair thereof are separately connected to the opposite sides of a blank, so that the latter is then substantially the same as a usual blank knitted ona legger and a footer, or

40 on a unit machine, but,,free however, from certain of the objections above set forth as to the construction of the stockings, and of the con,- struction and operation 'of a unit machine, which knits a complete blank including the heel tabs.

The suggestion, of separately knitting heelpocket half portions for connection with the unit leg-and-foot blank, is however, deficient in that provision has not been made for properly handling the unitrblank while attempting to con- 50 nect the half heel portions thereto.

The unit blank, for effective topping on a looping machine absolutely requires a certainsubstantial area .of ravel courses, otherwise 'it cannot efwould not be defective at the jointure of the pocket tabs to the main blank.

A full-fashioned heel pocket, as constructed in accordance with any of the above-mentioned known methods has a gathering, or puckering of yarns, forming a tip or peak at the center,.formed at the convergence of the fashioning lines with the seam, which may cause discomfort to the wearer, particularly if the stocking is slightly too large. A lapping, or folding-over, of this puckered portion may cause abrasion of the skin. Also, the back seam, in certain cases, has been known to cause slight chafing, or discomfort, and since it is directly opposite the rear, or heel seam of a. shoe, causes a piling up, or increased thickness of the shoe and stocking material at the heel.

Unit machines, aside from the instance above recited whereby a machine of this general character is suggested for knitting a blank to receive half heel inserts, and wherein no provision is made for adequately topping the main blank to receive the inserts, are usually intended for knitting an entire full-fashioned stocking. With such a machine, the complication of structure and operation, and the slowness of operation, caused by the intricacies of the heel region, are greatly detrimental to effective commercial production;

one of the main objections residing in the necessity, after lifting certain body yarn loops ofi the needles, of carrying these loops on the lifting points for' a distance equal to the walewise length of the heel tabs, after which the lifted loops are brought back to the needles,- and replaced thereon.

One object of my invention is to provide a stocking with novel heel construction which overcomes the above mentioned and other detrimental features of prior art stockings.

Another object of the invention is to provide a '-full-fashioned stocking with a heel portion,

' unit machine.

- fectively be handled to receive the pockets at a i l 55 commercial speed, or to produce a stocking which Another object of the invention is to provide a complete heel pocket for a. full-fashioned stocking, preferably by a circular knitting, or equivalent operation, whereby-the heel is caused to more perfectly conform to actual heel shape, and is free from corner-like effect, puckering, or a back seam.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method of producing a heelless combined leg and foot blank for eiiectively receiving a separately knit heel pocket element, whereby a stocking may effectively be produced, and a machine may be effectively operated for practicing the method.

Another object is to remove the back seam of a full-fashioned stocking heel pocket, and to preclude objection from this source.

Another object is to utilize the above-mentioned features and advantages, and further features or advantages inherent in, or resulting from, the invention, in connection with other parts of stockings or like knitted fabrics.

Another object is to provide a method whereby the stocking, or fabric blank, and a pocket may be effectively assembled.

Another object is to make the heels of fullfashioned stockings more accurately rounded, or to conform to the generally spheroidal or natural shape of a wearer's heel, for better feel and comfort, as well as for greater durability and improved appearance.

Another object is to make and assemble the fabric'in a simple and effective manner, by the use of, and without material change in, standard machines.

With these, and other, objects in view, which will appear from the following description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, as illus trated in the drawings, the invention resides in the novel elements, features of construction,

method steps and combination of parts and steps in cooperative relation, as hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims.

Figure l, of the accompanying drawings, is a view, in side elevation, of a full-fashioned stocking constructed in accordance with the invention, in one form, as it appears in a usual fulllength flat form, ofi the leg of a wearer, having its lateral sides and portions of the front and back in planes parallel to the front-toback per pendicular median plane of the stocking;

Fig. 2 is a view, in detail perspective, of a heel pocket of one form for insertion into a stocking like that of Fig. 1;

Figs. 3 and a are elevation and edge views, respectively, of a flat heel pocket blank for producing a pocket of another form;

Figs. 5 and 6 are views, similar to Figs. 3 and 4, respectively, of a flat heel pocket blank of further form;

Fig. 7 is a view of a flat leg-and-foot blank of the invention, minus the heel pocket, as it appears when first taken from a. machine;

Fig. 8 is a view of the blank of Fig. 7, as it appears after severance of certain courses in the heel area and advanced to a certain stage toward the reception of one of the heel elements oi Figs. 2 to 6;

Fig. 9 is an outline perspective of a looping machine utilized in practicing the method of the invention, indicating the manner in which an operator tops the leg and heel pocket members on looping points of the machine; I

10 is a top plan view of a portlonof a rotatable topping-on carriage shown in Fig. 9, indicating a stocking blank, without a heel pocket,

topped onto the looping points;

Fig. 11 is a front-elevational view of the device 7 of Fig. 10, viewed in the direction of the arrow ll i;

aoanico Fig. 12 is a view, taken substantially along the line l2l2 of Fig. 11;

Figs. 13, 14 and 15 are views, similar to Fig. 11, indicating subsequent progressive stages of the operation of topping the heel pocket on the looping points on which the stocking blank has been topped;

Figs. 16, 1'7 and 18 are views taken respectively, along the line |6-I6 of Fig. 13, the line l'l'--lll of Fig. 14, and the line Iii-l8 of Fig. 15;

Fig. 19 is a perspective view of a portion of the completed stocking blank and heel pocket assembly, as it appears on an upright inverted leg form having all of the dimensions of a normal leg and foot; and

Fig. 20 is an enlarged detail View of the fabric located in an area indicated by the dot-and-dash line rectangle A of Fig. 7.

Referring to Fig. 1, a full-fashioned stocking embodying the invention comprises a welt W, a leg L, a reinforced upper heel area H, a reinforced sole area S, a reinforced toe area T, and a heel pocket P, which with adjacent parts of the heel and sole areas H and S, constitute the parts more directly affected by or modified in accordance with, the invention.

An ordinary full-fashioned stocking of the indicated general type has a back seam extending throughout the entire length of the stocking,

from the top edge of the welt, through the heel pocket, to the toe tip, whereby there is formed, near the center of the heel pocket, a gathering or puckering of yarns at the intersections of parts fashioned to cause the stocking to fit the heel.

By the invention, the above-mentioned gathering or puckering is eliminated, as is also the back seam of the heel pocket P from a point 2i] where the top of the pocket joins the upper heel area H, to a point 22, where the bottom of the pocket joins the sole area S. A back seam 23 extends from the top of the heel pocket 1? toward the top of the stocking, like the usual back seam in an ordinary full-fashioned stocking. Another back, or bottom, seam 2t extends from the bottom of the heel pocket P toward the toe tip '1.

Also, in forming the remainder of the stocking, other than the heel pocket, it is knitted in flat blank form, as in the example of Fig. 7, preferably of single body thread thickness, which renders it of double thickness at the turned welt, as indicated, and of single-thread thickness from the welt W, through narrowing areas Eli and 2:9, to the top, or first courses 2! of the heel areas H. This knitting may be eifected by a single carrier, by three carriers in sequence, in accordance with the ringless principle, or by any desired number, and sequence, of carriers or yarns of any size,

At the top courses 2?, of the heel areas H, reinforcing or plating yarns are introduced into the knitting operation. Knitting is continued with full courses of the main body thread and the plating yarns in the upper heel areas H, to loose or topping-on course portions 30 and 30 in the upper heel areas, see also, Fig. 20. In the course portions 30 and 3i, loose, or topping-on loops, of the plating yarns are coincident with loose, or topping-on, loops of a course of the body yarn having a'portion 32, indicated by a broken line, of normal loops extending across the instep area I between the areas H. The reinforcing yarn, although preferably, in this instance, of a single strand, thereby rendering the areas H of twostrand thickness, may be of other number, thickness and character of yarn. The loops of the course portion 32. between the areas H are preferably plain loops of normal length, and

those of the topping-on portions 30 and 3| are preferably loose loops, or plain loops of extend- 5 ed length.

At the position of the course portions 30, 3| and 32, in accordance with an important feature of the invention, the loops of the course portion 32 are lifted by points off the needles, and held in position lifted off the needles, while knitting of ravel course areas is continued from theportions 30 and 3| in the areas H. This continued knitting is effected by the reinforcing yarns, and another yarn or yarns taking the place of the body yarn, feeding of which has been discontinued intermediate the heel areas H, so that the rave] course portions of the heel areas H are of substantially the same structure as before the lifting of the course portion 32. Also, this continued knitting is preferably not for the full coursewise widths of the areas H, but for reduced coursewise widths, from the adjacent selvage edges 33 of the blank, to positions short of the inner edges 35 of the areas H, so that small apertures 34 are provided in the blank, to facilitate severing the areas H, as indicated in Fig. 8, which apertures are closed in the finished stocking.

The above-mentioned knitting of the ravelcourse areas of less than the coursewise widths of the areas H, is continued of single body and single plating thread thickness, or, in other words, of double-thread thickness, for several courses, throughout narrow areas B, except at the walewise centers of the areas B, where one of the threads is dropped out of the knitting at each side of the blank for a few courses to provide intermediate portions D of the areas B of single thread thickness, also to facilitate severing. From these single-thread course portions D, the double-thread knitting is extended to other topping-on, or loose course, portions 36 and 31 in the heel areas H, just before which, the yarn of the course portion 32 is replaced onto the needles and looped to another full course 5|, of body yarn, 5 which is of normal loops between the areas H,

and of topping-on, or loose, loops coincident with the topping-on, or loose, course portions 36 and 31 of the plating yarns in the areas H, taking the places of the yarns which were, substituted for the 5 body yarn in the areas B. From this point on, the

stocking is knitted and fashioned in usual manner to the toe tip. I

By the above-described operations, each area B comprises in succession, from one of its defining 55 topping-on lines 30 or 3| to the other topping-on line 36 or 31, a ravel-course area 38 or 39 of given thickness, as of the double-thread, the severing course area D of lesser thickness, as of the single thread, and another ravel course area 52 or 53 0 of the given or double-thread thickness, with the topping-on, or loose course, portions 30, 3|, 36 and 31 each containing the main body thread, which also forms the instep opposite these areas. Thus,.

by clipping a loop or loops of each severing course 5 portion D, as by inserting a cutting implement into the aperture 34 at the inner end of the -corresponding area B, yarn of the severing course porping onto points of a looping machine, indicated in Fig. 9, to receive the pocket P, Figs. 1 and 2, or one of the pockets P1 and P2 of Figs. 3 to 6, as hereinafter set forth.

The above-described operation is an improvement over the operation of knitting an entire stocking blank, including the heel pocket, in the very great simplification in the construction and operation of the machine, with the consequent saving of time. Although by the invention hereof the body loops are likewise lifted, it is only necessary to carry them for a relatively short distance, such as ten courses, instead of about a hundred courses, as in the above-mentioned instance, whereby the time of operation of the unit machine to produce the heelless combined leg and foot blank is substantially reduced.

The heel pocket element P, as better shown in Fig. 2, is knitted and formed as a single member, or complete heel pocket, separately from the main stocking blank, on a circular knitting machine, to have a substantially spheroidal, or heel conforming, main body portion 40, loose or toppingon, courses 4| and 42, in planes at substantially right angles to each other at the edges of the pocket and ravel course areas 43 and 44. It also has fashion lines 45, but is, in general, of substantially true heel form, free from gathering or puckering of yarn, at the back center point, and

free from a back seam corresponding to the usual back seam of the heel of a full-fashioned stocking, which is a part of the seam extending from the top of the 'weit, down the leg, through the heel pocket, and along the sole.

Referring to Figs. 9, 10, 11 and 12, illustrating from different viewpoints, the first step in the assembly of the blank and the heel pocket, the topping-on, or loose course, portions 30 and 3|, at opposite sides of the blank, are brought into end-to-end relation, as better seen in Fig. 11, by bending the blank about its longitudinal axis, of Fig. 8, and topped onto points 46 of a looping machine M, which may-be of usual and wellknown construction not requiring detailed description. In efl'ecting this topping-on operation, as indicated in Fig. 9, the-operator grasps one of the heel areas H, with one hand at one side of the loose course portions 30 or 3|, and with the other hand, grasps the corresponding ravel course area 38, or 39, of substantial area, as provided by the invention, and works the loose loops onto the points, in a usual way. Fig. 9 illustrates the course portion 30 as having been topped onto the points, and the course portion 3| at an intermediate stage in its operation of being topped onto the points. After the latter operation is completed, the blank is thus associated with the points, as shown in Figs. 10, 11 and 12.

The next stage of operation, is to top the loose course 42 of the heel pocket P onto the points 46 over the loose course portions 30 and 3|, as indicated in Figs. 13 and 16, after which ,a turntable 41, of the looping machine M, on

which the points 46 are mounted, is moved to operative position relative to a stitching mecha the course portions 36 and 37 are topped from opposite sides of the assembly, by holding the foot portion of the stocking in one hand and a corresponding ravel course area 52 or 53 in the other hand, and working the loose loops onto the points it, in the course ii, as indicated in Figs. 15 and 18. In this relation, the fabric is again sent into the stitching mechanism E to complete the assembly of the pocket to the main blank. Subsequently, the seams 23 and 2d are formed, so that, when the completed stocking is placed on a foot of the wearer, or on a usual simulated foot form or model, it appears as in Fig. 19.

Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate a heel pocket blank P1 that is knitted, as a single member to provide a complete heel pocket, on a straight knitting machine to have an upper ravel area 5:3, upper loose or topping-on loops 59, narrowed selvage edges 56 and 55, a very short course portion of loose or other loops 5t, and a correspondingly short ravelcourse area 5?.

In mounting the heel pocket P1, the main leg blank is topped onto the points it of the looping machine M, with the course portions and 3t disposed in end-to-end relation, as in Fig. 10, The loose course portion 59 is then topped onto the points, and the machine operated to stitch the course portions it!) and 3! to the course liEi. Next, the stitched course portions 3!], ti and 59 are removed from the machine, and loops at the selvage edges 56 and 55, and the few loose loops 56 topped onto the points lli, after which the course portions 36 and 31' are topped on the points iii over the loops 5 3, 55 and 53, and stitched thereto.

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate a heel pocket blank P2 that is knitted, as a single element to provide a complete heel pocket, on a straight knitting machine to have an upper ravel area 62, upper loose. or toppingon, loops 63, narrowed selvage edges E i and 65, a course portion of loose or other loops Gt, longer than the course portion 56 of the blank P1, and a ravel course area 6?, correspondingly longer thanthe area iii of the blank P1.

In assembling the pocket P2 and the main leg blank, the procedure is like that of assembling pocket P1 and the blank, with the exception that loops at the lower ends of the selvage edge course portions 64 and G5 are topped onto closely adjacent ofthe points iti, whereby the course portion 88 and the ravel area 61 are doubled, or folded once, on themselves, and the halves of the course portion 66, thus laid on each other, stitched together; this feature leaving a fashion line, or seam, along the bottom of the heel pocket for a short distance corresponding to a short distance from the point 22 to the right thereof, as viewed in Fig. 1.

The feature wherein a circular-knit heel pocket element, or a complete heel pocket member of any kind, is utilized as an insert in the heel of a full-fashioned stocking, or a like feature is employed in an equivalent knitted fabric, embodying the problem and receiving the advantages of the invention, avoids objections to fullfashioned heel and like pockets, as heretofore constructed, renders them neat in appearance and comfortable to wear, simplifies the construction and operation of a unit machine, such as the machine, hereinbefore mentioned, for knitting an entire leg blank, except the heel, and has other features of advantage rendering it a substantial improvement in its field.

The improvements, represented by the methods and fabrics, by which the abovementioned results are obtained, can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A full-fashioned stocking blank, for the reception of a separately formed knitted unit constituting a complete heel pocket embodying a portion in the back-seam region of the stocking free from a back seam, comprising reinforced upper heel areas having lower topping-on course portions for topping onto, and stitching to, upper loops of the heel pocket, ravel-course zones of multi-yarn thickness next to said topping on courses, severing-course zones of reduced-yarn thickness next to said ravel-course zones, further ravel-course zones of multi-yarn thickness next to said severing course zones, and reinforced sole areas next to said further ravel-course zones having upper topping-on course portions for topping onto, and stitching to, lower loops of the heel pocket.

2, A full-fashioned stocking blank, for the reception of aseparately formed knitted unit constituting a complete heel pocket embodying a portion in the back-seam region of the stocking free from a. back seam, comprising reinforced upper heel areas or" given width having lower topping-on course portions for topping onto, and stitching to, upper loops of the heel pocket, ravelcourse zones of multi-yarn thickness and less width than said given width next to said toppingon courses, severing-course zones of reducedyarn thickness and of said lesser width next to said ravel-course zones, further multi-yarn ravel course zones of said lesser width next to said severing-course zones, and reinforced sole areas next to said further ravel-course zones having upper topping-on course portions for topping onto, and stitching to, lower loops of. the heel pocket.

3. A full-fashioned stocking blank comprising a portion for the reception of a separately knitted and formed heel pocket, including a first course in the instep region having a row of loose loops at each end and a portion intermediate said rows spacing the rows from each other, a second course in the instep region having a row of loose loops at each end and a portion intermediate its loose loops along the intermediate course portion of said first course closely adjacent thereto, a substantial number of ravel course portions forming a web of substantial area between each pair of said rows at opposite sides of the blank whereby said first and second courses which are closely adjacent to each other along said intermediate course portions diverge widely from each other along the loose loop rows, said webs providing for severance thereof to leave a ravel course zone of suificient area in association with each row of loose loops providing for effective handling to place all of said loose loops in one continuous line conforming to and extending entirely around the edge of said heel pocket for topping and stitching thereto, selvage edges above said pocket receiving portion for joinder to each other in a long back seam-between the pocket and the top of the stocking, and selvage edges below said pocket receiving portion for joinder to each other in a short back seam between the pocket and the stocking toe portion.

4. A full-fashioned stocking comprising a heel pocket receiving portion including a first course in the instep region having a row of loose loops at each end and a portion intermediate said I rows spacing the rows from each other, a second course in the instep region having a row of loose loops at each end spaced from each other by a portion therebetween along the intermediate course portion of said first course closely adjacent thereto, a separately formed one piece knitted heel pocket of substantially spherical surface element form extending continuously from a position spaced a substantial distance from the stocking back seam region at one side thereof to a position spaced a substantial distance from the stocking back seam region at the other side thereof, said first and second courses which have the intermediate portions closely adjacent to each other also having the adjacent loose loop rows thereof at opposite sides of the stocking diverging widely from each other and all of the loose loops being in one continuous line conforming to and extending entirely around the edge of said separately formed spherical surface heel pocket element topped and stitched thereto, selvage edges above said pocket receiving portion joined to each other in a long back seam between the pocket and the stocking top, and selvage edges below said pocket receiving portion joined to each other in a short back seam between the pocket and the stocking toe portion.

5. The method of making a full-fashioned stocking, comprising knitting and forming a heel 3 pocket. separately knitting and forming a combined leg and foot blank portion including the steps of forming a first course in the instep region having a row of loose loops at each end and a portion intermediate said rows spacing the rows from each other, forming a second course in the instep region having a row of loose loops at each end and a portion intermediate its loose loops along the intermediate course portion of said first course closely adjacent thereto, knitting a substantial number of ravel course portions to form a web of substantial area between each pair of said rows at opposite sides of the blank whereby said first and second courses which are closely adjacent to each other along said intermediate course portions diverge widely from each other along the loose loop rows, severing said webs intermediate said rows to leave a ravel course zone of sufficient area in association with each row of loose loops to provide for effective handling, manipulating said blank portion including the manipulation of said ravel course zones to place all of said loose loops in one continuous line conforming to and extending entirely around the edge of said heel pocket, topping and stitching said line and said 5.; edge to each other, removing said ravel course zones, forming a short back seam from the toe portion of the blank fabric to the bottom of the heel pocket, and forming a iong back seam from the top of the heel pocket to the top of the (m stocking.

6. The method of making a full-fashioned stocking, which comprises forminga knitted unit constituting a complete heel pocket embodying a portion in the back seam region of the stocking free from a back seam, separately knitting a flat blank on a full-fashioned knitting machine from the welt to upper reinforced heel areas, si-

area while continuing to knit in each of the reinforced heel areas a ravel-course zone of multi yarn thickness, knitting at the end of each of said ravel-course zones a severing-course zone of reduced-yarn thickness, knitting another multiyarn ravel-course area in each sole area, replacing said instep course on the needles, forming another topping on course portion in each reinforced sole area, resuming the simultaneous knitting of instep and reinforced sole areas and continuing the knitting in the foot portion through the sole areas to the end of the blank, severing coursewise each of said severing zones, topping loops of one of said upper heel area topping-on course portions at each side of the blank on, and stitching them to, upper loops of the heel pocket, topping-loops of said sole area topping-on course portions at each side of the blank on, and stitching them to, lower loops of the heel pocket,'and forming separate back seams between the selvage edges of the remainder of the blank above and below the heel pocket, respectively.

'7. The method of making a full-fashioned stocking, which comprises forming a knitted unit constituting a complete heel pocket embodying a portion in the back-seam region of the stocking free from a back seam, separately knitting on a full-fashioned knitting machine a fiat blank from the welt to reinforced heel areas of given coursewise width, knitting courses of the body and reinforcing yarns in said heel areas, forming a course portion of topping-on loops in the body and reinforcing yarns in each heel area in a course having instep loops of the body yarn extending coursewise between the heel areas, lifting from the needles, and holding in lifted position, said instep loops while continuing to knit in each heel area a ravel-course zone of multi-yarn thickness and of less coursewise width than said given width, knitting at the end of each of said ravelcourse zones a severing-course zone of reduced yarn thickness, knitting another ravel-course zone of said multi-yarn thickness in each sole area, replacing said instep loops on the needles,

knitting a course of body-yarn looped to said instep loops and having a portion in each sole area formed with the reinforcing yarns thereof as a course portion of topping-on loops, completing the blank, severing each of said severing-course zones coursewise, topping loops of said heel-area topping-on course portions at each side of the blank on, and stitching them to, upper loops of the heel pocket, topping loops of said sole-area topping-on course portions at each side of the blank on, and stitching them to, lower loops of the heel pocket, and forming separate back seams between the selvage edges of the remainder of the blank above and below the heel pocket, re-

spectively. FERDINAND K. THUN. 

